


Home Sweet Home

by vixevilcat7



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Home and Away (TV)
Genre: Australia, F/M, Post-Hogwarts, Single Parent Hermione Granger, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:22:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29991075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixevilcat7/pseuds/vixevilcat7
Summary: The battle is over. Harry has won. The Death Eaters, including Thorfinn Rowle, have all been caught and sent to Azkaban. Rowle has a secret connection with Hermione Granger. What happened between them at the fight? Why was his the only trial she attended? Why did she break up with Ron and leave England?A/N: another story brought over from FFN. This one had some extremely rough edges which I'm trying to smooth out. There are still time jumps in this first chapter that might seem jarring but I've tried to expand each little section somewhat to help it make more sense to the plot. Hopefully, it will be more readable now.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Thorfinn Rowle
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17
Collections: vixevilcat7





	1. Chapter 1

The battle was raging on. Curses were flying everywhere. Hermione had gotten separated from Ron after they destroyed the Horcrux and left the Chamber. She tried not to let herself be distracted by the kiss they had shared. She had to get back to him and Harry! She had already ducked into several doorways, evading several Death Eaters who were fighting the Order of the Phoenix. 

She was racing down the corridor, choking on the smoke and thick dust hanging in the air. Suddenly she was yanked into a broom closet. She couldn’t see who had her but she could tell he was very tall and broad-shouldered. There were really only two men currently at Hogwarts who actually fit that description. It meant she had just been yanked out of sight by Fenrir Greyback or Thorfinn Rowle! She was scared of Rowle but she was positively terrified of Greyback! 

The man scooped her up and put her against the wall. She grabbed his wild hair. She still couldn't tell who it was. The Death Eater and the werewolf both had hair as wild and out of control as hers was. His chest was bare but neither of them had been wearing a shirt. She could feel him chuckling under his breath. Next thing she knew, he was kissing the daylights out of her and she actually liked it! Ron's kiss was totally driven out of her memory. She needed to know who this was! She was enjoying the kiss so much she didn’t realize he was removing her pants. That is, until he wrapped her bare legs around his waist and pushed into her. She gasped with pain and tried to shove him away. He was firmly planted by then. "Sorry, baby girl. This is going to be a rough ride." he whispered to her. 

She raked her nails across his shoulders leaving behind bloody furrows. He didn’t seem to feel it. He resumed kissing her as he set a fast, steady pace that had them both screaming in ecstasy in no time. Before she knew it, they were both breathless and panting. "Merlin, that was better than I dreamed it would be!" he breathed into her ear. He pulled out and fixed their clothes back. Her eyes had finally adjusted to the dark enough to see him. She had just had sex with Thorfinn Rowle, in a broom closet, in the middle of the biggest battle of her life! He slipped a necklace out of his pocket and around her neck. He kissed it then her. “There! The bond is set. That’s done. Wait for me, Granger. I’ll be back for you!” 

“Wait, what?” she stuttered. He grinned wickedly, kissed her once more and ducked out the door. She darted out in time to see him battling his way down to the Great Hall. She had to admit, he was very accomplished at dueling, easily holding his own against Arthur, Kingsley AND Bill! Knowing if he killed anyone, he’d immediately face a life sentence in Azkaban, she aimed a Stunner at his back. That would keep him out of combat. They couldn’t give him more than ten years if he wasn’t even in the fight! Why she was trying to save him, Hermione had no clue. But he’d given her jewelry. Even Muggleborns knew a pureblood bachelor wizard didn’t give out jewelry just like that. If he put jewelry on her, he had plans for her! She wanted to know what those plans were. The battle reached a pitch point when Voldemort once more tried to kill Harry, not realizing that he was using Draco’s wand, the same wand that had disarmed Dumbledore and won the elder wands loyalty. The curse rebounded and Voldemort lay dead on the ground. Almost immediately, the Aurors began rounding up the Death Eaters to haul them off to Azkaban. Hermione was running down the steps when she saw them grab Rowle. He turned his head to look at her. He shook his head at her, then blew her a kiss. She stopped in her tracks to watch until they were out of sight with him. Then she raced over and threw her arms around Harry and Ron.

One month later

“This court sentences Thorfinn Rowle to six years in Azkaban Prison for his actions in the Wizarding war of 1997 and 1998.” Kingsley Shacklebolt intoned. He eyed the young man as he glanced at the young witch high up in the stands, watching the prisoner. Had it not been for her pleas, he would have made him suffer a life sentence, the same as the rest of the Death Eaters. She had been the one to point out Rowle hadn’t actually killed anyone, merely setting fires everywhere. Shacklebolt had to agree: the boy might be a firebug but he wasn’t a killer. Still he had to be punished. It was only fair. 

Hermione Granger watched with a breaking heart as Rowle was led from the courtroom. She jumped up and raced out into the hallway. This was the last time she would be this close to him for a long time. The hallways intersected and she reached the end of the corridor as they walked him past. He glanced at her, seeing HIS necklace around her neck. He smiled arrogantly at her and blew her a kiss. The guards separated into a loose group around him, giving them a moment of privacy. They stared at one another, the Death Eater and the Gryffindor Princess. Then she threw herself against him. He picked her up and gave her one last kiss. He placed his hand on her stomach. “I hope we have someone in common soon.” He brushed her hair out of her eyes, set her back on her feet and was led away. She curled one arm around her waist and bit the knuckles of her other hand as she watched him disappear with watery eyes. His hope had come to fruition. She was carrying his child. Now she had a six year wait ahead of her. 

Harry watched and waited silently. He had a hunch about this particular case. This was the only Death Eater whose trial she'd personally attended, aside from testifying for Draco and his parents. There was something going on here and it involved Thorfinn Rowle. He held her as she turned and cried in his arms. Whatever it was, she had his support every step of the way. They left the Ministry and headed back to Grimmauld Place. Soon they would be going to hunt her parents over in Australia.

One week later

“What are you doing, Hermione? I thought we were together now. You don’t even want me touching you anymore. What gives?” Ron Weasley was confused. After the battle, after that kiss, he thought they had gotten everything settled between them. They would go steady for a while as they finished school and training. Then they would get married and start their family. He watched as she continued packing. 

Hermione wiped her eyes. She’d tried. Merlin, had she tried to put HIM out of her mind. She knew what Ron had thought . They HAD kissed after destroying the Horcrux. Unfortunately, right after THAT, she’d found herself in a broom closet having sex with a Death Eater. He had marked her, with both a necklace and a child. She’d quickly realized there was no way to get the necklace off. It was a close fitting choker so she couldn’t just slip it off. She’d tried to break it, only to figure out he must have charmed it Unbreakable. This was what he'd meant then, with his words that day. 'The bond is set. Wait for me.' She had taken to wearing high-necked shirts to hide it. Shacklebolt was the only one who knew about the necklace. He’d been the one who grabbed Rowle at Hogwarts. She had cornered him shortly after he was made Minister of Magic. He’d confirmed that it was a family heirloom necklace belonging to the Rowle family. The biggest giveaway was the stylized R hanging on the chain. As long as she wore it, she was officially engaged to Thorfinn Rowle. As he’d made the necklace unable to be removed, only he could break their ‘engagement’. She hadn't realized, when he said 'bond', that he'd just engaged them to be married! Had she known, she would have ducked away to prevent him putting the necklace on her!

She finished packing and hugged Ron tightly. There was no future for them. She'd known that as soon as she was kissed in that broom closet. There was no way she could make him understand about Rowle or the baby. She didn't think there was any place for Rowle in her life but there was no way she would give up her baby. As long as she and Rowle had that connection between them, he had a foothold in her life. The best thing for everyone was removing herself from the picture. This way, Ron would be able to move on to someone else. She had saved every letter from her parents, still under a memory charm. She would move to Australia, take the charm off and they would stay there. Australia was a lovely place and the town they lived in sounded perfect for raising a baby in. Harry, Ron and Ginny could come visit her anytime they wanted to and she wouldn’t have to worry about HIM anymore. 

Six years later

Thorfinn Rowle took a deep breath. Finally! Thank Merlin, he’d finished his sentence! He was a free man again. Because he’d kept his nose clean and stayed out of trouble, he’d even been given his wand back. Of course, his home and estate were long gone. They'd been sold as restitution for his crimes in the war. The money had been divided between the victims whose homes he’d sent up in flames. They couldn’t touch his vault, though, so he was still fairly wealthy. Now that he was out of prison, it was time to start his family. First he had to locate his fiancé, Hermione Granger. He'd been waiting six years to see the little witch again. He couldn't wait to get his arms around her again. 

On his way to Gringotts to get his account unfrozen, he overheard a conversation. The two young men in front of him, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, seemed to be talking about the same witch he was about go in search of. From the sounds of it, she was going to lead him on a merry little chase! He needed to find her, the young witch whose memory kept him alive and sane in Azkaban. He’d replayed that day over and over again. Those precious few moments with her in that closet, putting his mark on her, hoping like hell he’d just given her HIS child.

“When are we going to visit Hermione again? I want to bring Romilda and introduce them. You don’t think she’ll be upset, do you, if I do bring Rommy?” Ron wondered. 

“No, she won’t mind. She’s been telling you for years to bring your girlfriend to meet her. So far, you haven’t taken her up on the offer.” Harry snorted. 

“Most girls require more than a week’s notice when you tell them you’re taking them to Australia to visit your ex-girlfriend.” Ron laughed. Harry chuckled, then froze as he caught sight of the person behind Ron. 

“I still don’t get why she left. I mean, yeah, I know she got caught by a Death Eater and had his kid. But that wasn’t her fault. Did she honestly think we would turn our backs on her? Hell, I would still have married her, even if it turned out to be Malfoy’s kid.” Ron looked around as they stood in line. Taking only minimal notice of the people around them, his eyes passed right over the big blond behind him. Harry was sharper on the uptake. He’d recognized the blond as soon as he saw him. He remembered him. Thorfinn Rowle. The only Death Eater whose trial Hermione had personally attended. He groaned as he realized Rowle had just heard EVERYTHING Ron had said about Hermione!

“I don’t think it was Malfoy who got her, there were two more blond death eaters there. Yaxley and Rowle. Remember?” Harry quietly asked Ron. Ron thought back to the battle. 

“Couldn’t have been Yaxley. He killed Remus and Dora. They gave him the Kiss, shortly after the battle. So, it was Rowle, then?” Ron might be slow to notice but he knew when something was bothering Harry. And right now, Harry was seriously bothered about something. Harry glanced over his shoulder. Ron suddenly realized who the big blond was. His eyes widened in alarm. ‘Damnit! Had he really just blabbed Hermione’s secret in front of the very one she was hiding from?!’

‘So she lives in Australia and has a daughter!’ Interesting, very interesting! Rowle wondered if the little girl had begun showing signs of accidental magic yet. No word on her marital status. She wouldn’t be able to form a bond with a wizard but the necklace would be unable to prevent nonmagical wedding ceremonies. 'Merlin! He hoped she was still single! It sounded like the family he so desperately wanted with her was just lacking himself!'

Gringotts had an Australian branch and he had nothing left here, no ties to anyone. His parents were long deceased. He had no aunts, uncles or cousins to keep in touch with. Thorfinn knew the Potter boy was still watching him as he stepped up to the counter. He kept all expression off his face as he asked to speak privately with a goblin. He went to his vault and grabbed two items out of it. An heirloom doll that had been passed down through his mother's line and a set of rings, an engagement ring and the matching wedding band, that had been passed down through his father's line. He scheduled the remaining contents to go to Australia with his money. After arranging the transfer, he took enough money to tide him over until he got over there. 

He left the bank and went to the Ministry. He arranged a Portkey and immediately left the country, heading for the Great Outback. The Australian Ministry was curious but accommodating in helping him find Hermione. It took him a week to track her down. She and her family lived in a small town called Summer Bay, on the coast. Before he went there, he did some research on the town. He learned about the Caravan Park. He called ahead and reserved one on a short term lease. Then he bought an old beater of a car that nobody would look twice at. He pulled the doll out and kept it on the front seat beside him. This would be his first present for his daughter. He hoped she looked like Granger. The set of rings were kept in his pocket. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before he could slip at least the engagement ring on her finger. He took his wand and put it in the dashboard of the beater car. 

That same week

Hermione loved her job. It was hard work but it had its rewards, too. She was a substitute teacher at Summer Bay High School. She was able to support herself and Reina without being a burden on her parents. They all lived at the Beach House. They babysat Reina while she worked. It helped that Reina was in primary school now. She took her to Yabbie Creek Primary school in the mornings and her parents picked Reina up in the evenings. She worked two days a week at the high school and three evenings a week at the Beachside Diner. She was frankly amazed that she’d been accepted as a substitute considering that she wasn’t much older than her students. 

It was almost time for Harry, Ron and Ginny to visit her. They came every year to keep her up to date on everything happening in Wizarding Britain. Even though it was never specifically mentioned, Harry also kept her informed on HIS status. It had been almost six years. He’d be getting out soon. She wondered how long it would be before he showed up to break the engagement. It wasn’t until Shacklebolt brought it up that she’d discovered another possible reason for him claiming her. If he was known to have a wife or fiancé waiting for him, he couldn’t be sentenced to any longer than ten years. Once he was released, he had three months to either break the engagement or convince her to marry him. 

She checked the time on her watch. She was due to work a shift at the Beachside tonight. Her parents would be back soon with Reina. Sometimes they went straight home but they would occasionally drop in with Reina while she was working. She hurried through a shower, took a moment to wind her long, curly hair into a bun and fastened it securely. She dressed and ran out the door. 

Kim, Robbie and Tasha were seated at their usual table. They were discussing the pop quiz they’d taken that morning. Robbie nudged them and pointed. Their substitute teacher, Miss Granger, had just walked in. They watched curiously as she walked into the back and came back a few minutes later, wearing an apron. They hadn’t realized she worked there. They were curious about her. She’d never been seen with anyone but an older couple and a little girl. They had quickly deduced that they were her parents and the little girl had to be either her daughter or little sister. She was a little cutie, with bushy dark blond hair and ice blue eyes. They occasionally babysat her when the older couple had business trips to attend. Whereas Hermione always got slightly sunburned, Reina quite easily tanned. They all speculated as to who and where the father was. 

“Hmm, maybe he’s dead. She’s been here for six years, right? Surely he wouldn’t leave her alone that long. He has to be dead.” Kim said. 

“No, I don’t think so. I think he’s in jail. You can see her get scared every time we have strangers in town.” Robbie insisted. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is she’s alone and we could find someone and introduce her to them. It can’t hurt. All she has to do is meet them. Doesn’t mean she has to jump into anything.” Tasha said. 

Kim looked at the other two. “And, uh, why exactly are we trying to match make for a teacher?” Robbie and Tasha looked at him quizzically.

“Because, Kim! She’s not much older than us! She’s more like a big sister than a teacher! She deserves to be happy, too! Even if she does spring pop quizzes that you two don’t study for!” Tasha stated firmly. Robbie and Kim rolled their eyes, grinning sheepishly.

As they playfully argued, a stranger walked into the diner. It was Kim who first noticed him. “So, we all know what Miss Granger’s little girl looks like, right?” Robbie and Tasha nodded, staring at him. “Look over there and tell me that isn’t her dad.” They both glanced in the direction Kim indicated. Their jaws dropped in shock. “So you see it, too? The resemblance? That’s not me going crazy?” they shook their heads. No, Kim definitely was not going crazy. 

The man was basically the older, taller, male version of their teacher’s child! Who was this mystery man? They knew there were three people who came to visit her every year. They were old school friends, she said. Was that who he was? Just another part of her past? Or was it pure coincidence that the child bore an uncanny resemblance to him? 

As they watched, he sat down at the counter. He pulled his hood up, concealing his face. Right after that, their teacher came bustling out of the kitchen with her arms loaded. They waited until she placed all the orders, then waved her over. She seemed to hesitate as she realized it was Kim waving her over. They had always noted that she seemed uncomfortable around Kim. Until now, however, they hadn’t known why. He looked enough like the stranger that he must have been a constant reminder of him from the moment Miss Granger saw him. She approached their table.

“Miss Granger, I don’t want to alarm you but there’s a man over at the counter who looks like your little girl.” Tasha was the one who told her about the stranger. She didn’t think it would go too well coming from Robbie or Kim. “He just came in. He has his hood pulled up, just there.” She pointed him out. Her eyes widened as she looked over. As it happened, he was looking at her as well. 

Hermione gasped and stepped back. Dear Merlin! What was he doing here! It wasn't time for him to be free yet, was it? Harry would have told her if that was the case! As she watched, Rowle took a key out of his pocket. He kissed it, then stood up. He walked over and slid the key into the pocket of her apron. Then he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Caravan Park. #19. Come find me after you’re off work or so help me, I’ll rip this fucking little town apart tomorrow until I find you! You KNOW I’ll do it, too. Don’t fight me on this, Granger!” he kissed her, then walked out the door.


	2. Kisses and Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim, Robbie and Tasha don’t trust Thorfinn, he looks too dangerous. Hermione meets Thorfinn who tells her he isn’t leaving. He wants to be a family. Can Hermione trust herself and him?
> 
> A/N: in case anyone wonders why the first chapter looked more like a rough draft than a chapter, it actually was a first draft. Hard day at work, late break, angry scribbles while on break and walaaa! A first draft. I came home, typed it into my tablet, then went back to expand each idea and strung them together with time jumps. Now that we’re at the main portion of the story, it will hopefully be smoother and slower paced. This will be a Thorfinn/Hermione story but don’t expect them to perform a lot of magic. This is set in the Muggle fictional world of ‘Home and Away’. The only ones magical will be Thorfinn, Hermione, and Reina. This is supposed to be a slow burn, we’ll see how the muse feels about that!

As he left the diner, Thorfinn grinned to himself. That kiss had left her confused. Good. Let her scramble to figure out his motives. In the meantime, he would have time to get himself immersed in the town. It would go to show her that he was serious about them. He was bound and determined that she would marry him. They would have their daughter and everything would work out. They would be a family. He just needed her to give him a chance. 

He had come straight to the diner, intending to eat. Seeing her had knocked the thought of food right out of his head. Now he realized he’d also forgotten to shop for food. No matter, it wouldn’t be the first meal he’d skipped. It certainly wouldn’t be the last. He went on to the caravan. Finding his number, he pulled into the little driveway. It had taken him the full week after his arrival to be able to get the hang of driving. He didn’t want to use magic any more than he had to. They were tracking his wand. 

He opened the front door and threw his backpack onto the couch. He dug into it and pulled out the dolly. He propped it on the counter where she would see it as soon as she came in. He wondered how soon he could have her convinced to stay the night with him. He walked through the caravan quickly. It was one hell of a lot smaller than he was used to. On the other hand, it was bigger than his cell at Azkaban and that was always a plus. 

He found the loo easily enough and played with the faucets until he knew which was hot and cold. He went back and carried his backpack to the bigger bedroom. He’d had to get some new clothes. All he’d had was the outfit he’d been captured in, his Death Eater uniform. He was damned well NOT going to wear that again, especially around Granger! The man in the Muggle shop had asked him if he wanted formal or casual attire. He’d told him both and he would be in Australia. The man had taken him up to a floor called Big and Tall after they discovered regular pants rode halfway up his shins and shirts wouldn’t go over his shoulders. They went through all the racks and got him completely outfitted for life in Australia.

Knowing she’d be there soon, he grabbed a set of clothes from the pack and went to shower. He was toweling his hair dry as he walked into his living room. He went to the door to check for her. As he glanced out, he noticed a car across from his. He could see the outlines of three people. He wondered who they were and why they were just sitting there. The light came on briefly, exposing their faces. It was the three kids from the diner. The boy in the passenger seat actually waved at him! He snorted as he smiled and waved back. ‘So the little shits didn’t trust him with their waitress!’ he actually didn’t mind, hell, if he was in their shoes, he’d probably do the very same thing! He stood there at the door until headlights crossed his wall. 

At the Diner 

“Miss Granger! Miss Granger! Miss Granger, are you all right?” she vaguely heard the voices but didn’t register them at first. She was too much in shock at Rowle’s actions. She had her hands laid across her lips. 

He’d kissed her! Right here in the diner, in front of everyone! The teens’ table was situated in the back of the diner, so maybe it hadn’t been in front of EVERYONE! But still, how dare he do that! The bloody big Neanderthal! Thinking he could just grab her when he took a fancy! What they must be thinking of her right now! Gods, if her parents had been here, if Reina had seen that! The little girl had already been asking why she didn’t have a daddy like everyone else. 

Now he wanted to meet her. She wondered why he hadn’t just taken the necklace and left. Surely he didn’t actually intend for her to marry him! Oh, gods! What if he was intending to take Reina away from her? Hermione began panicking at the thought. She needed Harry there! He’d know what to do, him and Ginny. 

“Miss Granger, are you all right?” a voice asked again. She didn’t stop to think who it was talking to her.

“YES!” she snapped before spinning around. “Oh, Robbie! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to snap at you!” 

Robbie smiled sweetly. “Its ok, Miss Granger. Um, if you don’t mind me asking, who was that? Why does he look so much like your little girl? Is he her father?” she looked at the three teens staring earnestly at her. 

“He’s just, just an old school rival. A few years ahead but still an old school rival. That’s all, Robbie.” She said. They looked at her doubtfully. “Ok. I’ll tell you who he is but before I do, this does NOT leave this table! Do you understand? If I hear even a whisper of what I’m going to tell you, I will know who blabbed!” they nodded, wide eyed. She sat down beside Kim. 

“Back in Britain, we were in school together. He was three years ahead of me. We really didn’t take much notice of each other until my fourth year. Then it seemed like I was running into him everywhere. After he graduated, I didn’t really think of him anymore. Then in my seventh year, there was a huge fight and we ended up in the middle of it. We, um, found ourselves in close contact for a few minutes and, well, to make a long story short, he gave me two things that day. This necklace and Reina. He went to jail for six years. For his part in the fight. He was a bit of a firebug. Anyway, he’s obviously free now. I don’t know why he’s here but you can’t tell anyone about him. Promise me you won’t.” she leaned forward to stare at each of them. It didn’t escape their notice that she had carefully avoided mentioning his name. 

“Is he the reason you’re always uncomfortable around me?” Kim asked quietly. She looked at him. He was tall, blond and blue eyed. Just like Rowle. 

“Yes. That was very unfair of me. You did nothing wrong. I should have been able to distinguish between you and him. That was my fault, Kim. You resemble him but that’s as far as it goes.” She reassured him. 

“You’re not really going to meet him, are you? He’s dangerous, Miss Granger!” Tasha exclaimed quietly. “You need to get the police on him!”

“No! No, the police will not be involved, Tasha! Yes, he’s dangerous but I have to meet him. If I don’t, he’ll really show how dangerous he is! I can’t take that chance, not when I can keep him contained. He just wants to talk some things out, that’s all. Please don’t tell anyone else about him. I don’t think too many people saw him in here. Please Kim, Robbie, Tasha, promise me! This meeting is no big deal, I promise.” She emphasized to them. 

They looked at one another. They didn’t really want to promise because they were afraid this meeting would go badly for their favorite sub. But she seemed determined to meet him and confident that she could handle him without any trouble. They reluctantly promised her. She smiled and stood up. 

Just then, the door swung open and they all heard an excited squeal. “Mummy! Mummy, look at my picture! Isn’t it beautiful?” Hermione spun on her heels and caught the little girl in her arms. 

“Oh, my! That is a lovely picture! We’ll have to hang it on the wall, won’t we?” she smiled brightly at the little girl. 

Reina looked past her. “Robbie, Tasha, look at my picture!” she held it up for inspection from her favorite babysitters. They exclaimed happily over the picture. Hermione’s parents beamed proudly at their granddaughter. They didn’t seem to notice Hermione’s strained smile. 

“Mum, dad, I need to ask if Reina can sleep over tonight. Some of my old school friends are passing through. Tonight is the only time they can meet up. It’s not Harry, Ginny and Ron, they haven’t arranged their vacation yet.” Hermione hated to lie to her parents but she wasn’t about to mention Rowle to them until she found out exactly what he was up to. 

“Oh, of course, Hermione! You know we love it when we get her all to ourselves.” Her mother exclaimed. Her father nodded. 

“I get to stay with grand mum and grandpa? Yay!” Reina squealed happily. 

“Now, you know the rules, though. You must eat a good supper for them, no candy after five. When they tell you it’s bedtime, no arguing with them. I’ll be by in the morning to take you to school, all right?” Hermione hugged Reina tightly. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost her. 

After they left, she turned back to the teens. “Remember, you promised. I’ll meet him and find out what he’s up to. Depending on how he answers me, then you can tell people you knew he was here, all right?” 

Even though they wanted to refuse, they all nodded again. As she walked away, they looked at each other again. “So did either of you happen to see what kind of vehicle he was driving? If he’s in one of the caravans, he didn’t walk into town.” Robbie said. 

“I watched him get into his car. I’ll know it if I see it again. Did either of YOU happen to catch the number of his caravan?” Tasha sighed as the boys shook their heads. “Well, she gets off work in thirty more minutes. I suggest we go canvas the park until we find his car.” 

“And what? Crash their meeting? I don’t think either of them would think too highly of that, Tasha!” Kim rubbed his hand over his face. He was glad that he’d finally found out why he made his teacher so uneasy. He was also glad it wasn’t actually his fault. Like she said, he couldn’t help resembling the guy. 

“No, not crashing the meeting but we will let HIM see us. He’ll know, if he hurts her, there will be witnesses who can point the finger at him. He’ll not dare put a hand on her!” Tasha said fiercely. The boys finished their sodas and they left after waving goodbye to Miss Granger. 

They headed for the Caravan Park and drove around slowly until Tasha cried out and pointed. There, in the driveway of #19, sat the beaten up car of the stranger. They pulled into a shady spot across from it and cut the engine. Now to wait for the meeting. They spotted him through the window of the caravan. It looked like he had showered as he was toweling his hair. They knew the moment he spotted them. Tasha flipped the interior light enough for him to see them. Robbie actually waved at him. They were astonished when he did nothing more than grin and wave back at them. Shortly after that, they saw headlights approach and a car pulled in beside his. 

Back at the Diner

Hermione watched them talk, then leave. She hoped they would really keep their word. She knew she had no choice but to meet with Rowle. If she didn’t, he was liable to burn Summer Bay down, looking for her. She wondered how he’d even found her. The only ones who knew where she lived was Harry, Ron and Ginny and she knew none of them would give out her location to him. 

Remembering what Tasha had said, she doubted Rowle had been seated long enough to eat. He was a pureblood; he probably had no clue how to use any of the appliances at the caravan. She seriously doubted he’d picked up any basics on his way here. She went to the kitchen and packed a box of leftovers for him. He might not like eating cold food but she was sure he would appreciate not starving over the next day or two. She couldn't decide which prospect she was more scared of: that he had actually found his way here or that he might actually plan to stay!

She finished her shift and went to her car, taking the box of food with her. Once she was inside, she took a deep trembling breath. ‘C’mon, Hermione, calm down! You can do this! You’re just going there to talk, nothing more, nothing less. He probably just wants his necklace back. That’s all! Just calm down!’ 

She shifted into gear and pulled onto the road. She almost turned around a couple of times. Each time, though, she had to remind herself that not only was Rowle a firebug but he could wield Fiendfyre. One blast of that really could burn Summer Bay down! She reached the road leading to the Park. Now, to find #19. She drove until she finally spotted it. As she pulled up into the drive beside his car, she glanced around. His was one of the more remote caravans. She started to wish she’d never seen him earlier. 

Then something caught her eye. A car was parked across the way. Was that, Robbie? And Tasha? And Kim? She smiled as she pulled the box of food from her car. Feeling touched that the teens were watching over her, she walked to the front door. She could see Rowle waiting for her. He pushed the door open and came to meet her. Before he took the box, he snuck a kiss from her. Rolling her eyes, she followed him back inside. He sat the box down, before digging through it to inspect the contents. 

“I wasn’t sure if you had groceries or if you even knew how to cook. How familiar are you with Muggle appliances?” Hermione asked him. 

“I know how to turn on the lights and use the shower. The rest of it, I hadn’t even looked at yet. Too busy getting used to how cozy it is. I like it, though.” Rowle replied. “Pie?” he offered her a slice of the pie he’d just discovered. 

“No thanks. That should tide you over a day or two until you leave.” Hermione watched him. He paused after taking a bite. Once he swallowed it, he looked at her. 

“What makes you think I’m leaving in a day or two?” he sat down at the table. She sat down across from him. 

“Why would you stay? There’s nothing here for you, Rowle. You can have your necklace back now.” She told him, unconsciously rubbing the R as she spoke. 

“On the contrary, Granger, there is something here. My necklace is here, my fiancé is here and” he looked at her steadily. “My daughter is here. She IS my daughter? I heard them say I looked just like her.” 

Hermione closed her eyes. She’d hoped he didn’t know about Reina! “How did you find out about her?”

“That’s not important. What is important is starting our family and our lives together.” He watched her frown at his words. 

“We’re not getting married, Rowle, and that’s that! You might as well just point yourself back to Britain and take your necklace with you!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, but we are getting married, Granger! I’ve been planning on marrying you for the past six years. You remember, I’m sure, the last time we spoke. I’m glad you had her. Any other girl would have terminated her. That’s one reason why I chose you. I knew, if I put a child in you, you would keep him or her. I’m looking forward to meeting my daughter.” Rowle finished his pie and put his plate in the sink. He put the rest of the food into the fridge. 

Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. She’s safe and happy, Rowle. That’s all you need to know about her. You can’t seriously be thinking of getting married? We don’t know each other, at all! We are complete strangers, Rowle! On top of that, you’re a pureblood and I’m a Muggleborn! What would your high society say about it!” 

“I don’t care what THEY would say about it. I’m not planning on going back there anyway. This is the perfect place for a fresh start. Nobody knows me here. The pureblood/Muggleborn thing is just an excuse for you to hold against me, Granger. I was never into that blood purity mess and you know it! When did I, personally, ever insult you or any other Muggleborns? Never! The only reason I followed him is because he let me set fires. I’m an arsonist, Granger, pure and simple. When someone says ‘you can set as many fires as you want’, those words were music to my ears! Here was someone actually encouraging me to set fires! All I had to do was set them in a way that terrorized people at the same time!” Rowle’s eyes were lit up talking about fires. Hermione shivered, remembering some of the fires he had set during the war, most notably the Burrow and several shops in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley! 

“Just say that we did actually get married? How do I know that you won’t get the urge to start setting fires again? Go back to jail? What would happen then, Rowle? You’d EXPECT me to wait for you to get out of jail again?!” Hermione jumped up and began pacing. 

Rowle leaned back on the counter and waited for her to pass him. When she did, he pulled her against him and kissed her again. “I got that out of my system during the war, sweetheart. I’m reformed. I want to make this work! Can’t we just try? You don’t even want to give me a chance.” He buried his face in her hair. “How hard can it be, Granger, just to try? We don’t have to marry right away. There is a matter of courtship, you know. I want us to be a family. You, me and Reina. Maybe even a little brother or sister for her. Maybe both?” 

Hermione braced her arms against him. “This is another thing. You can’t just grab me any time you want to! I’m not one of your-!” he kissed her again, this time until they were both breathless. He sat her on the counter so they could be more face to face. “You’re not going to give up, are you?” he smiled and shook his head no. Hermione sighed. “Just tell me one thing and I’ll think about what we’ve talked about.” Rowle tipped his head curiously. “Are you planning on taking Reina away from me?” she asked. 

“Taking my daughter away from her mother is the opposite of what I want. The whole point of my being here is to bring the three of us together. To be a family. Mother, father, daughter. I want to take care of you and Reina. To be able to walk down the street with you and not have people gawking at the ‘Death Eater and the Gryffindor Princess’.” He stroked a hand down her face. Hermione wanted to believe him, gods, she so wanted to believe him! 

He leaned over until their foreheads touched. “Stay with me tonight. Our first time together was just a quickie. Let me show you how good we could be together. We don’t have to do anything at all if you don’t want to. Just stay with me.” 

She shook her head. “I can’t stay. I would be setting a bad example for my students.”

Rowle laughed at that. “Granger, they probably know what sex is. They already know we’ve had it at least once. If they’re protective enough to guard a private meeting, they’re protective enough to not rat you out about staying the night with me.” 

“Actually, they didn’t want me to meet you. They told me to get the police on you, because you looked too dangerous.” Hermione thought back to the diner meeting. 

“Well, they’re not wrong. I AM dangerous but I don’t intend to be a danger to you, nor them or anybody in the town. I simply want to settle down somewhere I can be accepted. Somewhere that I can take care of my family.” Rowle put his arms around her. He could already tell the overnight stay wasn’t happening tonight. That was okay. He’d known going into this that it would take time to break down her defenses. “Okay, baby girl, I’ll let you go tonight. But.” He tipped her chin up. “I’m NOT giving up, nor am I leaving. We will be a family, Hermione.” Her eyes widened at his use of her first name. “Might as well get used to hearing that, Hermione. My name is Thorfinn. If you don’t want to say the whole thing, then call me Finn.” He kissed her again, set her on her feet and walked her out to her car. Waiting until she was inside and had it cranked, he watched as she drove away. Then he walked back into his caravan, waving at the teenagers as he went. 

Robbie, Kim and Tasha left right behind Miss Granger. They followed until she reached the parking lot of the Beach House. She waved them down. Kim rolled his window down. “Even though you didn’t need to guard our meeting, thank you for doing it. He seems like he’s serious about staying here. He’s made it plain he’s not leaving. I’m releasing you from your promise not to tell anyone about him. All I ask is that you wait until I’ve told my parents and Reina before you talk to anyone.” 

The teens happily agreed. They were actually excited about being the first ones to know about the man. There was only one thing. “Um, Miss Granger, what’s his name?”

Hermione wrapped one arm across her waist as she slid a hand into her hair. “His name is Thorfinn Rowle.”


	3. Are you my Daddy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione makes Thorfinn a gift. The Grangers meet Thorfinn. Thorfinn meets his daughter.

Hermione paced the rest of the night. It was a good thing she didn’t have any classes to sub for the next day, nor did she have to work in the diner that night. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, she made a decision. If Thorfinn was really serious about settling down here in Summer Bay, getting to know Reina, this was the least she could do for him. She kept her mind totally away from the fact that he also wanted to marry her. 

She pulled out a box of photos, some empty photo albums and began putting them together. At five am, a full three hours before she needed to have Reina at school, she was back out at Thorfinn’s caravan, knocking loudly. 

Thorfinn had just woken up when he heard loud knocking on his door. He climbed out of bed, donned a pair of jogging pants and went to answer the door. To his delight, it was Hermione. Her arms were full of books. He opened the door, pulled her into his arms, kissed her and guided her inside. She put the stack of books on his kitchen table. She picked up the smallest one and handed it to him. 

He looked down at a baby book. There was a picture of a newborn on the front. The blue eyes shining back at him were distinctly familiar. He looked at them every morning in the mirror. “Reina?” he breathed softly. She smiled and opened the book.

“My first ultrasound. Her first picture. I put all of them in here. Every picture from the first right up until I delivered her. This is the first time I heard her heartbeat. I enchanted the pictures to move. Listen.” She watched as he listened to his daughter’s first heartbeat. He grew misty eyed as he stood there. She knew then she couldn’t deny him the right to meet Reina. Her own problems with him could be fought out in private but the genuine emotion on his face showed that he was already attached to a daughter he hadn’t even met yet. 

“These are dated for each year of her life. I tried to keep them all strictly of Reina but there were a few that I’m in and I wasn’t sure if you’d want those in there.” She spread them out to show him she’d added a number to each cover. 

“Why wouldn’t I want them in there? You’re her mother, Hermione, of course you’d be in there.” He flipped through the first album, pausing at a picture. Hermione looked down at a picture of her holding Reina, having clearly just given birth. Reina was snuggled into her neck and Hermione had a peaceful look on her face. “I want this one by itself. It goes on the wall beside my bed. That’s the first thing I want to see every morning.” 

He continued to flip through the books, pointing out other pictures he wanted another copy of. His last choice showed her and Reina on the beach, working on a sandcastle. He gazed lovingly at the little girl who looked just like him. “She has your hair, Hermione. She’s beautiful.”

“I’m going over to my parents’ place to take her to school. We usually go to the diner with my parents to eat breakfast first. If you really want to meet her, be at the diner at seven thirty. I have to tell my parents who you are and why you’re here. They’ll want to meet you.” Hermione prepared to leave. He suddenly moved, pinning her to the wall. 

“Are you going to tell them we’re getting married? That I’m going to be their son in law?” he whispered into her ear. He cupped her face, tilting it towards him. “I want them to know I have every intention of setting down here, taking care of you and Reina. I want them to know we’re going to be a family.” As he gazed into her chocolate brown eyes, he had to kiss her. He could feel her arms rise up around his neck. Her hands clenched into his hair. “Sorry, darling, there’s not much hair to grab hold of yet. They cut all my hair off when I went into Azkaban. It hasn’t had a chance to grow back in yet.” 

He reluctantly sat her back on her feet, allowing her to leave. He went back and flipped through the books some more, then went to get dressed. He had future in laws and a daughter to meet. He grabbed the doll as he passed the counter and stuck it into the pocket of his jacket. He climbed into the beater and headed for the diner. 

At the Diner

Kim, Robbie and Tasha were headed into the diner when they spotted the guy, Thorfinn, sitting at the counter. He was watching the door and fiddling with a cup of coffee. As they walked past him, Kim reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. “G’day, mate. If you’re waiting for Miss Granger, she and the folks will bring the little ankle-biter back here. Come sit with us.” Without a word, Thorfinn stood and followed them to their booth. 

“Ankle-biter?” he asked, raising a brow. Tasha giggled and poked Kim in the ribs.

“Don’t worry. The only one whose ankles she bites is Kim and that’s because he won’t let her ride on his surfboard.” Tasha snickered. Robbie was fighting to keep from chuckling out loud. 

Kim snorted and rolled his eyes. “That’s not the only times she bites me. YOU try telling the child the water is too deep for her to play, see how long it takes her to bite YOUR ankles!” Tasha and Robbie both lost it. Thorfinn was hiding a smile behind his hand. It sounded like his child definitely was on the naughty side. He wasn’t sure how bad of a child Granger had been but he had definitely earned every punishment he ever received. Whether he’d been blowing stuff up, bullying the other pureblood children or just driving his parents and the house elves insane in his own home, he’d definitely been a terror! 

“So you’re Reina’s dad? Are you going to stay here? You’re not going to steal Miss Granger away from us, are you? She’s our favorite teacher! Are you going marry her? You’ll like it here. It’s a great town and everyone is friendly once they get to know you. Miss Granger’s parents are very nice, too. They have bonfires with us. Go camping with us and everything. More than once, they’ve let us stay over with them when we were too upset to go home! Did you bring a present for Reina? Just to let you know, she loves dollies.” the kids fired questions and statements at him rapidly. 

“Whoa, whoa! Yes, I’m Reina’s father. I do intend to stay here. No, I won’t be trying to steal Miss Granger away from you. I do hope to marry her. I’ve heard good things about this town so I think I really will like it here. I didn’t realize she was a teacher until she told me you were her students. I’m looking forward to meeting Hermione’s parents. I want to talk to them anyway. It’s customary to ask the parents for their daughter’s hand in marriage. They sound like they’ll be great in laws. Yes, I did bring a present for Reina. It is a doll.” Thorfinn answered every question. 

Just then the door opened. Miss Granger walked in, holding Reina’s hand. They watched her look around then register his location. Her parents were behind her and came forward to question him. He stood to greet them. He smiled at Hermione as his eyes locked on his daughter. 

At the Granger home

Hermione headed to her parents’ home. She was dreading this meeting. She’d tried not to talk about Thorfinn anymore than she had to and she’d never told them his name. Now she was going to have to tell them Reina’s father had come back into the picture. Her dad and mum were already up, getting ready before they woke Reina up. 

“Mum, dad. I need to tell you something. I don’t want Reina to hear this. I, uh, I didn’t really tell you everything about what happened in Britain. I told you about the war and the last battle. I, um, I know I didn’t tell you very much about Reina’s father. You know that he was on the opposing side. At the battle, he.” She ducked her head and took a deep breath. “He snatched me into a broom closet and we, um, we,” she closed her eyes and blurted it out, “We had sex. I, it wasn’t something I had planned on, believe me, but it happened. Right after that, he put a necklace, this necklace, on me. He told me to wait for him, he’d be back for me. Shortly after the battle, he was sentenced to prison for arson. He was in there for six years. He spoke to me, right before they took him away. ‘He hoped we had someone in common.’ He KNEW. He knew, suspected or just hoped that I was pregnant. Which I was. I couldn’t stay there. There were too many bad memories. Too many nightmares. Ron was expecting to marry me but I couldn’t. This necklace ties me to Reina’s father. He just recently finished his prison sentence. He’s shown up. He’s here, in Summer Bay. He wants to meet Reina. He says that he wants to marry me but I’m not sure how serious he is about THAT. He told me to tell you that he’s intending to settle down here and take care of me and Reina. He says he wants us to be a family.” She waited for her parents to start yelling at her. 

“This man, did you know him before that big fight? How old is he? Did he go to school with you, Harry and Ron?” her father asked calmly. 

“Yes, we went to school together. He was three years ahead of us, though. So, yes, I did know him before the big fight. His name is Thorfinn Rowle.” Hermione answered.

“He definitely said he wanted to marry you, to be a family with you and Reina?” her mother was next. 

“That’s what he said.” Hermione shrugged, still not believing Thorfinn actually meant to marry her. 

“Well, then. We’d better get Reina up and ready. Sounds like we have a son in law to meet.” Her father said decisively. Hermione’s jaw dropped. Her mother laughed and sent her in to wake up her daughter. Reina woke up slowly, blinking sleepily at her mother. Hermione got her dressed, not mentioning the coming meeting. She didn’t want Reina to be disappointed, in case Thorfinn did change his mind. 

Back to the Diner

Hermione got Reina settled into her booster seat and headed for the diner, her parent’s right behind her. She pulled in beside the old beater from last night. The Granger’s pulled in beside her. They climbed out. Hermione collected Reina and they entered the diner. She looked around. She’d thought he’d be near the front. To her surprise, she saw him seated in the booth at the back with Kim, Robbie and Tasha. He looked up, saw her and came to his feet. He smiled as he saw Reina. Her parents brushed by her and headed straight for him. 

“Rowle? Thorfinn Rowle?” Thorfinn cocked his head and nodded. “William Granger. This is my wife, Jean. We’re Hermione’s parents.” William held out his hand. Rowle shook it firmly.

“It’s good to meet you, sir. I’ve been looking forward to this. The kids.” He gestured behind him. “Have been telling me all about you both and Reina.” 

William laughed. “Only good things, I hope. It wouldn’t do for them to scare off my future son in law, now would it?” Thorfinn relaxed slightly. He wasn’t sure but he thought he detected approval from her dad. Hopefully, it was because the man sensed he truly wanted to marry Hermione. Her mother still looked slightly disapproving. 

“So how was it that, in the middle of what Hermione described as a huge battle, you found the time to hide away in a broom closet and get intimately acquainted with our daughter? So much so that she had your child?” she pursed her lips as she waited for him to answer THAT awkward question. 

“I’d been waiting three years, ma’am, for your daughter to come of age. That necklace stayed in my pocket for three years. I just missed her time and again until the battle. I knew I was going to prison. There was no way around that. I knew I had to claim her before I went. It was the only chance I had so I took it. I grabbed her, laid my claim and then told her I’d be back for her. And here I am. I did the crime, I did my time and now I’m ready to move on with my life. I’m ready to be a husband and a father. I want to be her husband, Reina’s father. Nothing more, nothing less.” He told her sincerely. Her expression softened into a smile. ‘Two down, now to see if I can win my daughter over.’ He thought. He knew if he could get her folks and his daughter on his side, it’d be easier to convince her that he really was here to stay. He’d already undergone the third degree from the teens. He’d patiently answered every question they’d thrown at him. 

Hermione approached slowly as Reina gazed at the stranger talking to grand mum and grandpa. She wasn’t old enough yet to recognize how much she resembled him. As she stopped and looked up at him, he hunkered down to her level. “Hello, Reina. My name is Thorfinn. I’m a friend of your mum’s. Tasha, Robbie and Kim have been telling me about you. They said you like dollies. I’ve had this doll a long time but I don’t play with them. Would you like to play with her instead?” Reina’s eyes widened as she looked at her mother. Hermione gave a slight nod and Reina happily accepted the doll. 

“Reina, dear, what do you say?” Hermione gently reminded her. Reina threw her arms around Thorfinn’s neck and leaned on him, kissing his cheek. “Thank you for my dolly, Thorfinn!” she spoke slowly and shyly. 

He patted her back and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re welcome, baby girl.” He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around his child and never let go. She was an adorable little princess. His only regret was that she would never meet his mother. The woman would have been in seventh heaven over this child! He sat down beside Kim and Hermione sat across from him with her parents. To all their surprise, Reina opted to sit in his lap to eat breakfast. 

Hermione checked the time as Reina ate. It was almost time to have her at school. Reina finished her breakfast and chose that moment to pick a topic Hermione had hoped to avoid. “Mr. Thorfinn? Are you Kim’s daddy?”

“No, sweetheart. I’m not.” Thorfinn answered her, puzzled by the question.

“You look like him. Are you his brother?” she persisted. Kim and Robbie had both frozen and were staring wide eyed at the child. Thorfinn smiled slightly.

“No, sweetheart, Kim and I might look like each other but we’re not related.” He told her. 

“I asked Kim and Robbie if they were my daddy and they said no. But I really want a daddy. Everyone else has one. Are you my daddy?” Reina asked him hopefully. Now Hermione was frozen in place. Every one of them was looking at her expectantly. Reina was looking at Thorfinn and Thorfinn was staring at her, silently pleading with her to let him claim Reina. She closed her eyes. She’d really, really hoped to avoid this happening! She didn’t want Reina to know her father was in town until she was positive that Thorfinn actually intended to stay for good. That plan had just been derailed with one innocent question. She opened her eyes and nodded. With him looking at her like that, she couldn’t deny him the right to claim his child. 

“Yes, darling, I AM your father. And I am so glad to meet you.” Thorfinn laid his hand on the little girl’s shoulder. She hugged him, then pulled back. “Daddies and mommies are supposed to live together. Why don’t you live with me and mommy?”

“I’ve lived in another country until last week. I was in a great deal of trouble a while back and I had to go to jail for a very long time. I served my time and got out. Then I came to find you and mommy.” He told her gently. She thought it over and nodded. 

“You don’t have to go back to jail? You can stay with mommy and me now?” she questioned him. 

“No, I don’t have to go back to jail. l do intend to stay right here with you and mommy.” He assured her. She smiled happily and hugged him again. He held her as gently as a little porcelain doll.

“Are you done eating, sweetie? It’s time to go to school.” She looked at Thorfinn. “Would, um, would you like to go with me? See where she goes to school?” Thorfinn was staring at her in shock. Then he quickly accepted before she could change her mind. She told her parents she’d see them later as she didn’t work today. 

Thorfinn stood and followed them out to Hermione’s car. She got Reina into her booster seat and herself fastened in. He reached between the seats and ruffled Reina’s hair as she giggled. Hermione drove them over to Yabbie Creek. “Today is parents’ day. We get to sit in on show and tell.” She mentioned briefly. 

When they got there, all the other parents stared at the sight of her young daughter tugging the huge blond man around by the finger, showing him all the drawings she’d done in class. Thorfinn loved each and every one of them. Hermione knew the others were wondering who he was. Soon the teacher came in and got all the students into a circle. The parents all stood near the back. Everyone was still keeping a wary eye on Thorfinn. As it happened, Reina was the first student called for show and tell. They could see her excitement as she stood up, holding the doll. “This is my dolly. I just got her this morning. Her name is Reina, too." she turned and pointed at Thorfinn. "That is my daddy. His name is Thorfinn. He was in jail for a long, long time. Now he’s come home to me and mommy! Thank you!” and she sat back down as the other parents started muttering loudly. 

Hermione had her hand over her mouth. Thorfinn stood at ease. He wasn’t about to cower into a corner somewhere. It was like he’d told her. He HAD done the crime but he’d also paid his debt to society with his six year sentence. If they wanted to pass judgment on him, let them. Their opinions weren’t important. The only ones he was worried about were Hermione, Reina and her parents. If they saw nothing wrong with having him in the family, screw everyone else! Hermione relaxed as she realized he wasn’t going to lose his temper. She smiled and rested against him. He looked down and pulled her close, waving at Reina as he did. 

As show and tell proceeded, Hermione could still see all the parents giving her and Thorfinn sideways glances. This was where she’d first started subbing after she got her teaching certificate. She wondered now how many more times she’d be asked to sub and how long it would take for the aftermath to reach the high school. She wasn’t worried, though, simply because Thorfinn wasn’t bothered by it. He’d been honest about his past with her parents and Reina. If he hadn’t wanted it known, he would have tried to hide it. 

Once show and tell was over, they hugged Reina goodbye, told her they would be back to pick her up after school and left. She drove them back to the diner to his car. He asked her what time he needed to meet her to go get Reina. She didn’t answer but grabbed his hand, pulling him across the street to the path leading to the beach. 

They walked down the beach, playing in the surf, splashing each other. Then they came to a large rock at the end of the beach. Hermione climbed up on it and patted beside her. Thorfinn joined her. “That was some show and tell, aye?” he asked teasingly. She smiled at him and he couldn’t resist any longer. Those brief kisses this morning had only been a taste. He laid her back, pillowing her head on his arm, his hand going into her hair as he kissed her again, going in deep this time. They laid there a long time, kissing. Deep kisses, shallow ones, tracing down the jawline and back. He couldn’t get enough of her kisses. 

Gradually, she thought to check the time. “I was supposed to go to mum and dads after I dropped off Reina. Do you want to come with me? It’ll give you more time to bond with them until we go back to get Reina.” Thorfinn, who had gradually been moving lower and lower with his kisses, slid a hand under the hem of her shirt. The higher up his hand slid, the faster he could feel her heart pounding. He watched as her eyes grew darker and darker. Finally his hand met the strap of her bra. Instead of unfastening it, he simply squeezed gently through the bra before removing his hand. She was breathing heavily by this time but so was he. 

“Yes, let's go. I need to speak to your father anyway. I like this spot. We need to come here again.” He breathed into her ear. She blushed a bright red. He chuckled, jumped down and plucked her off the rock. He was glad he’d put on his loosest fitting jeans because he definitely needed the camouflage for a few minutes. He took her hand as they moved up the path back to her parents place.


	4. Bonding with the Grangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorfinn bonds with William. Jean questions Hermione. A past is revealed and shared. More kissing. Reina finally has both parents.

Hermione and Thorfinn walked into the Granger’s apartment, hand in hand. William and Jean exchanged glances and smiled at them. They knew how long it took to get to the primary school, how long show and tell usually lasted and how long it took to get back to Summer Bay. They’d suspected that she’d want to haul the young man off somewhere to talk. Evidently Hermione and Thorfinn had taken a while to get familiar with each other again. Judging by the flushed look on their faces, they had done slightly more than talk. 

“Well, how did show and tell go?” asked her mother. Hermione clapped her hand over her eyes. William and Jean braced themselves. There was no telling what Reina had said in class.

“Well, every one of her classmates and their parents now know that her daddy has been in jail. But he’s free now and has come home to settle down with her and mommy. And she has a dolly named Reina.” Her parents were laughing by the time she stopped speaking. 

“And was it ok for her to share all that about daddy?” her father asked, gazing at Thorfinn. The young man seemed relaxed at the moment but William wasn’t going to forget that Hermione had said he was on the losing side of the Wizarding war. Not yet anyway. He was reserving judgment for now because he seemed sincere in his desire to be with Hermione and Reina. 

“I have nothing to hide. I was a criminal. I was caught and I served my time. As long as you three and Reina accept me, I could care less what anyone else thinks of me.” Thorfinn told him honestly. William could see he was well on the way to having a son in law. If only Hermione wasn’t so insecure about the man’s feelings for her. He and Jean might have to give Thorfinn a helping hand with her.

“Should we be expecting our next grandchild soon?” William teased them. Hermione went bright red as she jerked her hand away from Thorfinn. He simply laughed as he moved forward. 

“Nothing would give me more pleasure than another child, sir. I don’t think Hermione is quite as ready for that step yet.” He answered, coming to a stop in front of the man. William was sorting out some fishing gear. “May I speak to you, sir, privately?”

“Help me untangle these lines, would you? We’re having a few guests over later. I think you might know them. Robbie, Tasha and Kim? They help us take care of Reina. She likes watching Kim surf. She tries to get him to let her ride the board with him. So far, though, she’s got nowhere. Robbie gets her over in the Ocean Pool to distract her. He and Tasha are teaching her how to swim. I’m about to go fishing. You can go with me.” William could see Thorfinn was looking serious about something. Considering the fact that the young man had a child with his daughter and had declared his intentions of settling down with them, William could almost guarantee he wanted to speak to him about Hermione. 

They got the fishing gear untangled and carried outside. William yelled to let Jean and Hermione know they were going fishing. Hermione walked to the door to wave them off. Jean joined her, watching the two walk down to the pier. After they were out of sight, she pulled her to the kitchen. “Now, tell me more about this young man. He was at Hogwarts with you? That means he’s magical, too. Reina is already showing signs of magic, you know? It scares her when she does it because she doesn’t understand how she’s doing it.”

“I know. I need to explain to her about accidental magic. Has she done anything in front of anyone, that you know of?” Hermione asked, remembering several instances of displaying her own accidental magic in school. 

“Not yet. So far, all her bursts have been here with us. She’s gotten quite good at picking out her own bedtime stories. I’ve cautioned her that it’s ok to do it in front of us, you, myself and William. But Robbie, Tasha and Kim wouldn’t understand it. She knows to be careful in front of them.” Jean told Hermione, who let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want Reina to go through the same taunting and ridicule she herself had endured as a child. 

“So about this Thorfinn?” Jean waited for her daughter to answer. She knew about quite a few of Hermione’s school friends and enemies but she didn’t think she’d ever heard her talk about this one. Of course, three years separated them. That might have something to do with it. But she possibly might have mentioned him some in her fourth year. She'd spoken about quite a few things her fourth year. Maybe though, it was like both Thorfinn and Hermione had said. He'd paid attention to her. But she hadn't paid attention to HIM. Until she mentioned the fact that he apparently had been in the Wizarding war as well. On the opposite side. And he was the father of their granddaughter.

“Thorfinn. How to explain about Thorfinn. He was in Slytherin so I don’t really know that much about him. I know he’s a pureblood. But he never joined in on taunting the half-bloods and Muggleborns at school. He was always more interested in Quidditch. He’s an insanely talented Quidditch player. Or he was before he went to prison. He was, for want of a better word, a firebug, an arsonist. He liked setting fires. I’m pretty sure that I heard some of the other students talk about how talented he was at wielding Fiendfyre. I’ve seen fires he set during the war. He burned down the Burrow and quite a few shops. He said that was HIS main reason for being on the wrong side. Their leader let him set as many fires as he wanted, as long as he did it in such a way to terrorize people. He said he got it all out of his system during the war.” Hermione closed her eyes. Then she looked at her mother. “I asked him what happens if the urge comes back. Am I expected to wait for him another six years? That’s when he told me he’d got it out of his system. Now apparently he just wants to settle down with me and Reina, marry me and possibly have more children.” 

Jean considered her daughter. “And what about you? Do you want to marry him, have more children? It would be nice to have more grandchildren. Reina’s growing up so quickly. Do you think she’ll go to Hogwarts?” 

“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about that. I don’t even know if Australia has a school of magic. If they do, she’ll stay here, close to us. If they don’t, I suppose I’ll be taking her to King’s Cross every year.” Hermione looked down. “I don’t know what to think about him. I suppose, at some point, I’d like to have at least one more child but the whole him fighting on the wrong side of the war thing keeps looming between us. I can’t seem to forget about that.” 

“Talk to him. Just keep talking about it until the two of you can discuss it without arguing. Then you’ll be ready to move on. Unless he wants to marry right away?” Jean picked up a pan off the stove. 

“I think he would, in a heartbeat, if he thought I’d agree but he did say there’s a matter of courtship. So I think he’s willing to let me set the pace, right now, for how fast our relationship moves.” Hermione was actually relieved that Thorfinn wasn’t going to rush her into marriage. He seemed to have a hard time keeping his hands off her but that was to be expected. Even in Hogwarts, he’d been very much hands on with every girl she’d seen him with. 

“You said a matter of courtship? That means he came from an old fashioned family. You realize that he’s probably out there on the water, asking your father’s permission to court you, right?” Jean gently teased her. Hermione smiled and giggled. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he is. Either that or he wants to let him know again that he’s not going anywhere. He’s really insistent on us being a family.” Hermione pulled her hair back into a bun. Sometime during their little make out session, Thorfinn had managed to loosen up her hair, causing it to fall down. Her mother began to talk about what they were having for supper. Hermione joined in making preparations. 

Out on the water, William and Thorfinn were getting their lines ready. He could see Thorfinn struggling to find the right words. He decided to help him out a bit. ‘So when did you first start noticing Hermione?” 

“I noticed her that first year she was in school. It was kind of hard not to notice her. She was always with Potter and Weasley. They were continually having run-ins with Malfoy, the little prat! I was already a third year so it was more of a passing interest at that time, like ‘oh, look, the trio is into it with Malfoy again’, you know?” William nodded, having heard Hermione rant many times about the little blonde prat! 

“So we basically went our own ways the first couple of years we were in school. I did notice that she came in pretty and kept getting prettier. But then came my last year. That was the year of the Triwizard Tournament. It seemed like every year something was always going on around Potter and that year was no exception. His name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Of course, I knew that she would be right there beside him. We had a Yule Ball that year. Viktor Krum, from Durmstrang, was one of the champions that year. She caught his eye and he asked her to the Ball. Of course, nobody knew that until the night of the ball.” Thorfinn got a faraway look in his eye. William smiled to himself. ‘Oh, yes, this youngster had it bad for his daughter!’ 

“The night of the Ball, he came in with this breathtakingly lovely young girl on his arm. She had on the most beautiful blue dress. Gods, she was so beautiful! She was enjoying herself so much, until that little Weasley started arguing with her. I wanted to hang him up by the thumbs for making her cry.” Thorfinn was frowning, just remembering back then. “Then I was out of school, getting my Quidditch career going. I was wild, reckless, loved setting fires and,” he sighed. “Extremely stupid! Some of my older classmates had already joined the Death Eaters and they talked me into going to a meeting with them. Their leader, Lord Voldemort, talked to me, asking if I was interested in joining his followers. I refused his offer for a while. Then he told me if I would join him, I could set as many fires as I wanted to, as long as I hit the ones he’d targeted. So I did. Like I said, I was stupid and reckless.” 

William could understand being stupid and reckless. He’d done some pretty dumb things before he’d met Jean and quite a few dumb things after he’d met her. What mattered was whether Thorfinn had learned his lesson and from the sound of it, he had definitely had some hard learning experiences. “So that is what led to that little broomstick closest at Hogwarts?”

“Ah, the broomstick closet!” Thorfinn smiled. “Yeah, we were told that something big was going on at the school. I knew she was still at school. I was hoping she wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire. We were just waiting on a signal and it came. The Malfoy kid let us in. There was a fight, a big dustup that ended with Dumbledore being killed. We were escaping the school. I was trying to keep an eye out for her. I didn’t want to hit her by accident. Thankfully, she stayed out of sight and we got away. Everything went tits up that summer. That fall she never came back to school." 

He looked at William then. "I, uh, I was watching for her. I was going to grab her and hide her away. But she had disappeared off the map, her, Potter and Weasley. Then we found them very briefly. Your daughter is very quick with a curse. She managed to hit me with a Stunner, knocked me right out. I didn’t see her again until Hogwarts. I knew, by then, our side was more than likely going to lose. I was sick of war, gods, so sick of war by that time. I wanted nothing more than to grab her and go, get out of there, find somewhere away from everything. Someplace just for me and her. I knew I was looking at jail time. I also knew, if I didn’t have someone to look forward to after getting out, I’d never survive in there. I decided that, if I found her, your daughter was going to be my saving grace. I already knew I wanted her. I grabbed her, laid claim to her and told her I’d be back. And here I am.” Thorfinn held up his hand and shrugged. He’d explained his shared past and his criminal past to the man. Now to see if he was still worthy of marrying the man’s daughter.

William was silent for a while. Then he spoke. “You know, of course, the final agreement has to come from Hermione. I can see that you truly care for her but she is the one who has to believe it. For what it’s worth though, I’m glad you are being so honest about your past. The good and not so good parts of it. Even though you put the cart ahead of the horse, I can see that you really do want to marry Hermione. You have my blessing. But be warned, it’s not going to be easy getting her to agree. She’s probably going to fight you every step of the way, all the way to the altar.” 

Thorfinn smiled. “I don’t mind fighting with her. It’s so much fun, making up with her afterwards. I don’t intend to rush her, either. I’m going to let her decide when it’s going happen. She waited six years for me. It’s not going to hurt me to wait six years for her.” 

The men sat there for the next few hours, content to lazily rock with the waves while they fished. It was a new experience for Thorfinn. His father had never once bothered, during summer or holidays, to even try and take him fishing. He thought he could very easily get used to this. He couldn’t wait, now that he’d gained her father’s approval, to get back and begin courting his fiancé. By the time they went back, they had a full row of fish to show for the endeavors. 

Hermione had begun walking between the kitchen and the door, watching the clock. It was almost time to go pick up Reina and she’d promised Thorfinn he could go back with her. Finally, her father’s fishing boat puttered into view. Thorfinn jumped off, tied it off to the pier and grabbed his line and the fish. He and her father came back up the path and came straight into the kitchen. 

“Finally, you two are back. Hermione was afraid she was going to have to go get Reina by herself. Thorfinn, go wash up and join her.” Jean ordered. Thorfinn obediently went to wash up. He came back in time for Hermione to grab his arm and haul him out the door. He barely had time to wave bye to her mother before the door shut. Jean shook her head and laughed. For someone who was reluctant to accept his intent to marry her, Hermione was certainly anxious to get him alone. 

Hermione pulled him out to her car and climbed in. As he settled in the passenger seat and fastened his belt, she cranked up and pulled away from the curb. She was concentrating on her driving and jumped slightly as he draped his arm across the back of her seat. They rode in silence for most of the way until she pulled up outside the school. As they sat there, she sighed. “Why me, Rowle? Seriously? Of all the girls in Hogwarts, why me?”

“Why you? Huh, why Hermione Granger? I’ll tell you why.” He unfastened his seatbelt, leaned over and kissed her until they had to come up for air. “You, Hermione Granger, were the most beautiful girl at the Yule Ball. You have NO idea how much I wanted to punch Krum out every time he put a hand on you! How badly I wanted to hang Weasley up by his thumbs for making you cry! That necklace you have on, that’s the same necklace my grandfather gave to my grandmother. My father gave it to my mother. I gave it to you. It’s an engagement heirloom, Granger. When we have a son and he’s old enough someday, he’ll give it to his future bride. I carried that necklace around THREE YEARS, Granger, just waiting for my chance to slip it on you!” 

Hermione stared at him, in a daze. Gradually, other cars began lining up behind them. It was the other kindergarten parents. Knowing Reina would have full attention from both of them soon, she leaned towards him invitingly. He quickly took her up on the offer and kissed her again. Just then, they heard the bell. They broke apart and exited the car. They walked toward the kindergarten classroom and were the first parents at the door. 

“Mommy, daddy!” Reina exclaimed excitedly. “See, I told you he was my daddy!” to the little girls standing behind her. They giggled and waved shyly. He smiled at them as Reina came running at him. He easily caught her and swung her up into his arms. He hugged her tightly but gently. He’d known her less than a day but he already loved her.


End file.
